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of the year every male of yours will appear before me". and: "he shall not appear before me empty." No one shall appear to him empty. Since, therefore, this one also longs for the springs of waters, he prays to be filled, so that he may come and appear before the face of God, no longer being empty. Since... he asks then? -sometimes not of another ... ... ... ... ... he discusses that: "3When then will I obtain the perfect good, so that appearing before the face ... ... ... ... ... of the graces given by him"3? 4 My tears have become my bread day and night. He says this: since I knew myself to be still lacking from the presence of God ... ... ... ... ... weeping that contributes to the assumption of virtue, that which comes from toil and... ... ... ... ... According to this meaning, at least, it is said: "Those who sow in tears will reap with joy. Going they went forth and wept, carrying their seeds. Coming they will arrive with joy, carrying their sheaves." They sow in tears 299 with sweat the seeds of virtue, those of the spirit, casting them down. When, therefore, they reap, they no longer toil; for they have attained the end for which they strove. When "going we went forth," "we wept carrying their seeds." When we were still making progress, having cast the seed, we awaited the perfection of the fruit. When we came with joy, we carried the sheaves, no longer the seeds. These tears, therefore, become food for the one who longs to see God and be watched over by him. Therefore he says: "My tears have become my bread day and night." I do not weep superficially nor in pleasant things, so as at one time to be at leisure for luxury and at another for the weeping of repentance, but also in gloomy things; for gloomy things are called night. You have, at least, in another psalm a voice saying such things: "You will feed us with the bread of tears and give me to drink with tears in measure." One must also offer the tears of repentance with measure, so that they might become bread and drink. And for the rest, there will be certain other things succeeding the toil, the fruits produced from the tears. 4 While it is said to me each day, Where is your God? For this reason I also offered so many tears as to become food for me, because I heard them saying to me: "where is your God?" This both Sennacherib and Rabshakeh have said: "3'where is your God'? And you then, Israelite, 'where is your God,' that he might deliver you"3? So tears became my food, but "in measure," and I drank and ate them; for I knew that something productive of joy succeeds the tears and their toil. 5 I remembered these things and poured out my soul upon myself. When I was in recollection and memory of those who spoke the reproaches, of these my enemies, I did not go outside, I did not pour out my soul outside, but upon myself I poured it out. It is something like: "I was troubled and did not speak," and what Paul says: "but we ourselves had the sentence of death within ourselves, so that we would not trust in ourselves." This, you know, is also said about Job; first it says that: "Job did not sin at all," and second: "with his lips." Here he calls the soul the mind. But when he says: "obtaining as the outcome for those who believe the salvation of souls," he has thus named the very substances that give life to bodies. But when he says: "having purified our souls in obedience to the truth," he means the minds. Thus, at least, they are accustomed to speak of good-souled people. and: "But you, my like-souled man"; he means the same mind and disposition. 5 For I will pass through into the place of the wonderful tabernacle, as far as the house of God. We have often said that the perfection of virtues is the house of God, but the tabernacle is progress; for of those who are progressing and moving from place to place, the dwelling is the tabernacle. When, at least, ... ... ... ... God, they served him in a tabernacle that was witnessed to; for "tabernacle of witness" ... ... ... ... ... is praiseworthy. and the words of God, at least
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τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ὀφθήσεται πᾶν ἀρσενικ̣όν σου ἐνώπιόν μ̣ου". καί· "οὐκ ὀφθήσεται ἐνώπιόν μου κενός". οὐδεὶς κενὸς ὀφθήσε̣ται̣ αὐτῷ. ε᾿̣π̣εὶ τοίνυν καὶ ο̣ὗτος ποθεῖ ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, εὔχεται πληρωθῆναι, ἵνα ἥξῃ καὶ ὀφθήσεται τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκέτι κενὸς ὑπ άρχων. ἐπερ·· ἐρωτᾷ οὖν; -ἐνίοτε οὐκ ἄλλου ····· ····· ····· ····· ··· δ̣ιαλέγεται ὅτι· "3πότε ἄρα τεύξομαι τοῦ τελείου ἀγαθοῦ, ἵν' ὀφθεὶς τῷ προσώπῳ ····· ····· ····· ····· ·· τῶν πρὸς αὐτοῦ διδομένων χαρίτων"3; 4 ἐγενήθη τὰ δάκρυά μου ἐμοὶ ἄρτος ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός. τοῦτο λέγει· ἐπεὶ ἔγνων ἐμαυτὸν ἔτι ἀπολειπόμενον τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ ····· ····· ····· ····· ···σα κλαυθμὸν τ̣ὸν συντελοῦντα πρὸς ἀνάλημψιν ἀρετῆς, τὸν ἀπὸ πόνου καὶ····· ····· ····· ····· ···α. κατὰ τοῦτο γοῦν τὸ σημαινόμενον λέγεται· "οἱ σπείροντες ἐν δάκρυσιν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει θεριοῦσιν. πορευόμενοι ἐπορεύοντο καὶ ἔκλαιον αἴροντες τὰ σπέρματα αὐτῶν. ἐρχόμενοι ἥξουσιν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει αἴροντες τὰ δράγματα αὐτῶν". σπ̣ε̣ι´̣ρ̣ο̣υσιν ἐν δάκρυσιν 299 σὺν ἱδρῶτι τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς σπέρματα, τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, καταβαλλόμενοι. ὅταν οὖν θερίσουσιν, οὐκέτι πονοῦσιν· τετυχήκασιν γὰρ τοῦ τέλους τοῦ σπουδαζομένου. ὅτε δε`̣ "πορευόμενοι ἐπορευόμεθα", "ἐκλαίομεν αἴροντες τὰ σπέρματα αὐτῶν". ὅτε προεκόπτομεν ἔτι, τὸν σπ̣όρον καταβεβλημένοι ἐξεδεχόμεθα τὴν τοῦ καρποῦ τελείωσιν. ὅτε δε`̣ η᾿̣ρχόμε̣θα ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει, τὰ δρ̣άγματα ᾔρομεν, οὐκέτι τὰ σπέρματα. ταῦτα οὖν τὰ δάκρυα τροφὴ γίνεται τοῦ ποθοῦντος θεὸν ἰδεῖν καὶ ἐφορᾶσθαι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. διὸ λέγει· "τὰ δάκρυά μου ἐγενήθη μοι ἄρτος ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός". οὐκ ε᾿̣πιπολαίως κλαίω οὐδ' ἐν τοῖς ἡδέσιν̣ ὥστε ὁτὲ μὲν τρυφῇ σχολάζειν ὁτὲ δὲ κλαυθμῷ μετανοίας, ἀλλὰ κ̣αὶ ἐν τοῖς σκυθρωποῖς· καλεῖται γὰρ τὰ σκυθρωπὰ νύξ. ἔχεις γοῦν καὶ ἐν ἄλλῳ ψαλμῷ φωνὴν τοιαύτην λέγουσ̣αν· "ψωμιεῖς ἡμᾶς ἄρτον δακρύων καὶ ποτιεῖς με ἐν δάκρυσιν ἐν μέτρῳ". μεμετρημένως δεῖ καὶ τὰ τῆς μετανοίας προφέρειν δάκρυα, ὅπως̣ ἄρτος καὶ ποτὸν γένωνται. καὶ λοιπὸν ἄλλα τινὰ ὑπάρξει τὰ δ̣ιαδεχόμενα τὸν πόνον, τὰ ἐκ τῶν δακρύων ἐπιγενόμενα γενήματα. 4 ἐν τῷ λέγεσθαί μοι καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ θεός σου; διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰ τοσαῦτα προέφερον δάκρυα ὡς τροφήν μοι γενέσθαι, ὅτι ἤκουσ̣ά μοι αὐτ̣ῶν λεγόντων· "ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ θεός σου̣"; τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Σενναχερὶ καὶ ὁ Ῥαψάκης εἴρηκαν· "3"ποῦ ὁ θεός" σου; καὶ σ̣ὺ οὖν, Ἰσραηλῖτα, "που῀̣ ὁ θεός" σου, ἵνα ῥύσηταί σε"3; τροφ̣ή μοι οὖν ἐγένετο τὰ δάκρυα, ἀλλὰ "ἐν μέτρῳ" καὶ ἔπινον αὐτὰ καὶ ἠ´̣σθιον· ᾔδειν γάρ̣, ὅτι διαδέχεταί τι χαρᾶς π̣οιητι̣κὸν τὰ δάκρυα καὶ τὸν πόνον τούτων. 5 ταῦτα ἐμνήσθην καὶ ἐξέχεον ἐπ' ἐμὲ τὴν ψυχήν μου. ὅτε ἐν ἀναπολήσει καὶ μνήμῃ ἐγενόμην τούτων τῶν λεγόντων τοὺς ὀνειδισμ̣ούς, τούτων τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου, οὐκ ἔξω ἐχώρησα, οὐκ ἐξέχεα τὴν ψυχήν μου ἔξω, ἀλλ' ἐπ' ε᾿̣μὲ ἐξέχεον. ἐστὶν τοιοῦτο· "ἐταράχθην καὶ οὐκ ἐ λάλησα", καὶ ὃ λέγει Παῦλος· "ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ ἀπόκριμα τοῦ θανάτου ἐσχήκαμεν, ἵνα μὴ πεποιθότες ὦμεν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς". τοῦτό τοι καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ εἴρηται· πρότερον λέγει ὅτι· "οὐδὲν ἥμαρτεν Ἰώβ", δεύτερον δέ· "τοῖς χείλεσιν". ὧδε τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν διάνοιαν λέγει. ὅταν δὲ λέγῃ· "κομιζόμενοι τὸ τέλος τοῖς πιστεύουσιν σωτηρίαν ψυχῶν", αὐτὰς τὰς οὐσίας τὰς ψυχούσας τὰ σώματα οὕτως ὠνόμασεν. ὅταν δὲ λέγῃ· "τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν ἡγνικότες ἐν τῇ ὑπακοῇ τῆς ἀληθείας", τὰς διανοι´̣ας λέγει. οὕτω γοῦν εἰώθασιν λέγειν καὶ κ̣αλοψύχους ἀνθρώπους. καί· "σὺ δέ, ἄνθρωπε ἰσόψυχέ μου"· τὴν ἴσην διάν̣οιαν καὶ διάθεσιν̣ λέγει. 5 ὅτι διελεύσομαι ἐν τόπῳ σκηνῆς θαυμαστῆς ἕως τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ. εἴπομεν πολλάκις, ὅτι ἡ τελείωσις τῶν ἀρετῶν οἶκος θεοῦ ἐστιν, σκη̣νὴ δὲ η῾̣ προκοπή· προκοπτόντων γὰρ καὶ μεταβαινόντων ἐκ τόπου εἰς τόπον οἰκία ἐστὶν ἡ σκηνή. ὅτε γο̣ῦν ····· ····· ····· ····· · θεόν, ἐν σκηνῇ αὐτὸν ἐθεράπευον μαρτυρουμένῃ· "σκηνὴ" γὰρ "μαρτυρίου" ····· ····· ····· ····· ··· ἐπαινετόν ἐστιν. καὶ τοὺς λόγους τοῦ θεοῦ γοῦν